Over charges for services not rendered
Complaint
Tim Quinlan
Country: United States
I am a teacher at Morley Stanwood Community Schools in rural Michigan. I was searching for US government grants in the areas of ecological sciences and energy conservation. I cam across this website sponsored by BSS Web Grant Access. It was linked to government grant information websites, so I naively trusted it. When I downloaded the link, the site promised access to US government grant listings for $2.97. This was promoted as a 1 time introductory offer. It was for school, but I figured for $2.97 I would just put it on my personal credit card. I was called by my credit card company to authorize the $2.97 to which I said "yes." On my next credit card bill, the $2.97 was there as well as a charge for $57.61. I was understandably incensed. I realized instantly that I had been "had." I immediately called the number on the credit card bill and talked with a woman that asked me if I had read the "small print." I told her that any website that offered a limited service as a trial and then charged for the full service the next day without authorization was a scam. She told me that she could remove the subscription to the service, but that I was responsible for paying the $57.61 for the previous month.
I am calling my credit card company and I will be disputing this charge. I believe that a full refund for the $57.61 is in order. I only visited this site one time for a little over an hour. I think that $2.97 certainly should cover that.
I am calling my credit card company and I will be disputing this charge. I believe that a full refund for the $57.61 is in order. I only visited this site one time for a little over an hour. I think that $2.97 certainly should cover that.
Comments
They use deceptive websites to prominently offer a "trial offer" for a couple bucks to get your account information, then cram on monthly charges until you figure out how to get them to stop. The only way to stop the charges is to block your card number or close your checking account due to fraud.
"I was called by my credit card company to authorize the $2.97 to which I said "yes." "
That indicates your credit card company has flagged that company as a source of fraudulent charges. Knowing that, they should not just have asked you whether you authorized the "teaser" charge, but also they should have responsibly warned you about the later scam charges likely to follow.
"I immediately called the number on the credit card bill and talked with a woman that asked me if I had read the "small print." "
Their "customer service" is set up primarily to deflect disputes like yours. They deliberately design their websites to prominently play up the small initial charge, while deceptively hiding the monthly charges in fine print, knowing that many people will not even notice those terms.
" I told her that any website that offered a limited service as a trial and then charged for the full service the next day without authorization was a scam. She told me that she could remove the subscription to the service, but that I was responsible for paying the $57.61 for the previous month."
That is why it is pointless to dispute scam charges with the scammer. You dispute them as FRAUD, IN WRITING, directly with your credit card company. Block your card number immediately, as well, since these scams often cram charges under SEVERAL names to get around attempts to block charges under the name you know.
"I only visited this site one time for a little over an hour. I think that $2.97 certainly should cover that."
They don't really have a product that anyone wants, so they actually make their money on the crammed charges. If they intended to cram monthly charges that slipped under your radar for several months they would have charged about $10 to $20, but at (the "exact sounding") $57.61, they know most people will catch it first time, which is why she told you they intended to keep it. They still get another chance to sucker you if you think they have stopped charging you just because you called them, and you fail to block your card number.
Their teaser offer just ensures they get your account number for what sounds like a limited risk offer (that is what hooked you in), and also covers any costs as they ping your account to ensure they can cram the larger charges.
We probably do the poorest job of educating our children in normal consumer and business law, financial common sense and, street smarts.
Perhaps you could teach your students about the structure of internet scams and frauds, and how you protect yourself from them, so they don't have to learn it by experience themselves.
File fraud complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, their state Attorney General, and at www.ic3.gov
I checked my account on line and noticed the $57.61 had been deducted and this was an unauthorized charge. In addition they had taken their introductory fee of $2.97 three days earlier.
I told my boyfriend about this today and he checked both better business bureau and the internet to the same conclusion: This company is a scam.
Being a mother of two children I am totally upset with companies who steal money from unassuming people. Now I learned something: never put out my Credit Card number on the internet.
Phone: 1 800.689.1260
Convert2Media
2910 Maguire Road, Suite 2010, Ocoee, Florida USA 34761
info@convert2media.com
Offices - 800.689.1260 Ext. 102
AIM: Convert2Media
(407) 614-3806
Ralph Ruckman
http://www.facebook.com/Convert2MediaNetwork?v=info&viewas=0
http://convert2media.com/contact.php
Proofs: http://odigger.com/affiliate-offer/grants-360-ca/
Report these f***ing scammers to the FTC:
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?lang=en
Sebastian Sterling LLC
228 Park Ave S 29095
New York, S 10003
USA
+1.9179757512
info@sngmp.com
also dba
Fed Pack Grant scam
Deopser Consulting Ltd
Caddish Rondeaux Enterprises
computerwealthfast.com
domainwebssl.com
getgrantfunding.net
webgrantaccess.com
866.779.5507